You should know that your hands are dirty. They touch different surfaces, that contain different germs which can cause various illnesses once they enter your body. We touch our mouth, nose, and eyes more often than we think which exposes the mucous membrane to germs causing various diseases. We also use our hands to make and eat our food so when our hands are not clean, they can contaminate the food that we serve and eat. By a simple habit of handwashing, you can minimize or completely eliminate the risk of such illnesses in you and your near ones.
Washing your hands in the wrong way
Facts show that only 5 percent of people wash their hands properly. Experts suggest that one should rub soap for 20 seconds on every part of your hands to make them clean. Also, remember not to turn off the tap afterward with your clean hands as it will again make your clean hands dirty. You can use a disposable paper napkin, or simply your wrist or elbow for the same.
Here are a few of the diseases that you can keep at bay by washing your hands properly:
- Coronavirus – Handwashing frequently and avoiding touching few surfaces which contain germs and bacteria like doorknobs, handles, etc. is one of the best ways to keep yourself safe from Covid-19. According to research, you should wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. In case when there is an unavailability of soap and water, you can use sanitizer having more alcohol content of more than 60%.
- Diarrhea – Handwashing can reduce the rate of diarrhea by as much as 30 percent. This is huge for the people living in low-income areas where the clean water supply is a problem. The germs that cause diarrhea are present in the gut and it spreads through the fecal contamination of water and hands. Several kinds of research encourage people to wash their hands after using the toilet to avoid diarrhea symptoms.
- Flu – Flu can be deadly for immunocompromised and for old people. Apart from getting yourself vaccinated for the flu, it is important that you follow the simple steps of handwashing as a preventing measure so that you can avoid getting exposed to germs without knowing it. Infectious diseases like influenza can get spread before having any signs and symptoms so it’s better to frequently wash your hands in order to prevent infecting yourself.
- Salmonellosis – One of the biggest reasons why you should wash your hands frequently is that unknowingly you keep on touching the poop particles which is how salmonella get transferred. The bacteria can get transferred to your hands if you are not properly washing your hands after preparing raw meat, or using the bathroom, or changing your baby’s diapers. Salmonellosis can spread if you are not very diligent about keeping your hands clean and washed.
Washing hands with water and soap can remove more germs than you can imagine. Keep practicing this healthy habit of handwashing to prevent the occurrence of many illnesses.
